Zillow, the Seattle-based real estate listing and data firm, is now buying and selling homes directly from consumers in the Houston area, joining a growing crowd of so-called iBuyers shaking up the traditional real estate business model.

The company launched its Zillow Offers operation in Houston Monday, adding to a service it already offers in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Denver and Charlotte and Raleigh, N.C.

Part of a new breed of investors, iBuyers purchase homes directly from sellers and quickly put them back on the market. Homeowners who sell their houses to iBuyers don't have to stage their homes or hold open houses, and they can choose their closing dates. The convenience comes at a higher price than the traditional commission a seller would pay an agent: iBuyers can charge fees of as much as 10 percent of the price they pay for the home.

Sellers provide information about their homes online and they will typically receive notice of interest within two days. IBuyers only purchase homes that meet specific criteria. They typically don't buy properties built before the 1960s or that would sell for more than $500,000 or $600,000.

San Francisco-based Opendoor began buying homes in Houston last summer and it now has around 130 properties for sale in the area.

Houston is Zillow Offers' first Texas market to launch, but the company is also planning to begin operations in Dallas this year.

"Texas is home to some of the largest and most vibrant housing markets in the country, and we're thrilled to bring Zillow Offers to Houston today," Zillow President Jeremy Wacksman, said in an announcement Monday.

Zillow Offers says it will pay commissions to real estate agents or provide agent leads to sellers that its decline offers.